As signs of spring pop up in Chapel Hill, another unusual set of signs have appeared on Franklin Street.
Arizona-based artist Gregory Sale brought his multimedia exhibit “Love for Love” to the streets of Chapel Hill last week.
Sale said his art, which features white, circular signs with pieces of poetry written on them, are meant to remind residents about feelings of love and intimacy.
“The campaign is about love in the community,” Sale said. “Remind each of us of feelings of love.”
Sale’s project was commissioned by the Ackland Art Museum to explore how love can be expressed through beauty, emotion, humor and texts.
Sale’s work is part of the Ackland Museum’s first major exhibition this year, More Love, which features 48 works of art by 33 emerging and established contemporary artists.
According to Emily Bowles, spokeswoman for the Ackland, the circles feature bits of poetry excerpted from anonymous Chapel Hill residents from places like the Orange Correctional Center and homeless people from around town.
“He wanted to exhibit populations whose voices are not usually heard” said Bowles.
“These voices are very conversational and contemporary that give us pause in daily life to reflect.”
Sale said he worked with the Sacrificial Poets, a non-profit that focuses on spoken word workshops with young adults in the Triangle area, to come up with the bits of poetry.
The project is a continuance of one of Sale’s previous exhibits.
The circles with green writing are excerpted from Sale’s previous work while the circles with red writing come from Chapel Hill residents.
Sale also created metal buttons as another component of his work to propel his message of love as a social and political campaign.
Sale said the signs, as well as the buttons, serve as a gift and a takeaway that people can associate with a personal experience.
Meg McGurk, executive director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, said Sale’s artwork made the downtown area more inviting.
“The signs create a sense of place and foster an emotional impact in visitors” said McGurk.
McGurk also said public art can serve as an economic driver for the downtown area and provides artists with a venue to display their work.
The signs will be on display on Franklin Street until March 31.
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